NW Natural Ranks Second in the West for Customer Satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates

PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwire - Oct 6, 2011) - Northwest Natural Gas Company, dba NW Natural (NYSE: NWN), has earned the second highest overall score in the Western U.S. among large utilities according to the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Gas Utility Residential Customer Study(SM). This marks the eighth consecutive year the company has ranked among the best in the West. NW Natural also received the second highest score in the nation this year, posting 668 points out of 1,000.

The study, now in its tenth year, measures residential customer satisfaction among 75 gas-only and combination utilities nationwide across six factors (listed in order of importance): billing and payment; price; corporate citizenship; communications; customer service; and field service. According to the study, driving increases in satisfaction among customers are improvements in the areas of communications, price and corporate citizenship.

The study found that even though many residential natural gas customers said their financial situation worsened from 2010, satisfaction with billing and payment and customer service improved.

"The employees of NW Natural care deeply about doing right by our customers and doing all we can to provide them excellent service," said Gregg Kantor, NW Natural President and CEO. "I'm proud to work with colleagues that have such a passion for the work they do. Serving the energy needs of Northwest communities is a privilege we don't take for granted. We will continue to stay focused on providing superior service -- as our customers deserve nothing less."

NW Natural Recognized as a 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Champion
NW Natural was also recognized this year by J.D. Power as a Customer Service Champion -- one of only 40 companies to have earned this distinction. To qualify for inclusion on this elite list, companies must not only excel within their own industries, but also must stand out among leading brands in 20 major industries evaluated by J.D. Power. NW Natural was one of only two utilities to make the list.

About the J.D. Power and Associates Study
The 2011 Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study is based on more than 62,000 responses from residential customers of the 75 largest gas utilities in the nation. The rankings encompass large and midsize utility companies in four geographic regions: East, Midwest, South and West. The study was conducted between September 2010 and July 2011.

About NW Natural

NW Natural is headquartered in Portland, Ore., and serves about 675,000 residential and business customers in Oregon and Southwest Washington. It is the largest independent natural gas utility in the Pacific Northwest. For more information about NW Natural, please visit nwnatural.com.